McMullen County

McMullen County, Texas.
McMullen County is in southern Texas surrounded by Atascosa, Live Oak, Duval, and La Salle counties. Tilden, the county's largest town and the county seat, is in the north central part of the county at the intersection of State highways 72 and 16. The center of the county lies at 28°20' north latitude and 98°32' west longitude. McMullen County was named for John McMullen, the Irish empresario. The county comprises 1,159 square miles of usually flat to rolling terrain covered with mesquite, scrub brush, cacti, chaparral, and grasses. Elevation ranges from approximately 150 to 450 feet. Soils in the county vary: in some areas light to dark loamy soils cover reddish, clayey subsoils, with limestone within forty inches of the surface; in others cracking, grey to black clayey soils predominate. Most of the county is drained by the Nueces River, which flows northeasterly from the southwestern corner of the county and bisects its eastern border. The northern half of McMullen County is drained by the Frio River, which empties into the Choke Canyon Reservoir in the northeastern corner of the county. In 1982, 87 percent of the county's land was devoted to ranching and farming and 2 percent was cultivated. Livestock and livestock products accounted for 93 percent of its agricultural income. Mineral resources include uranium, salt domes, sand and gravel, oil, natural gas, and lignite coal. Crude oil production in 1982 totalled 899,661 barrels; 20,209,632,000 cubic feet of gas well gas, 693,355,000 cubic feet of casinghead gas, and 56,627 barrels of condensate were also produced. Temperatures in McMullen County range from an average high of 98° F in July to an average low of 42° in January; the average annual temperature is 71° F. Rainfall averages 24 inches per year, and the growing season lasts for 290 days.
Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.
McMullen County at a Glance
Adopt a Town
The Texas Almanac's Land Rush program lets you adopt the town, county, or lake of your choice and share your message with the world. 100% of the proceeds benefit education in Texas.

- Adoption Status: ✅
- This place is available for adoption!
- Adopted by:
- Your name goes here
- Dedication Message:
- Your message goes here
County Map of Texas
McMullen County
- McMullen County
Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
McMullen County is classified as a County
Altitude Range
150 ft – 642 ft
Places of McMullen County
Noteworthy | Place | Type |
---|---|---|
Calliham | Town | |
Choke Canyon Reservoir | Lake | |
Colfax | Town | |
Cross | Town | |
Crowther | Town | |
Dog Town | Town | |
Franklin Settlement | Town | |
Guffeyola | Town | |
Loma Alta | Town | |
Nopal | Town | |
Prince | Town | |
Rio Frio | Town | |
San Miguel | Town | |
Tilden | Town | |
Wentz | Town | |
Yarbrough Bend | Town | |
Zella | Town |
Photos of McMullen County and surrounding areas

McMullen County, Texas.
Map showing McMullen County, Texas. Photograph credit: 1874 McMullen Map, courtesy of the Texas General Land Office via TexasEscapes.com.

McMullen County, Texas.
Map of McMullen County, Texas. Map Credit: Robert Plocheck.

Tilden, Texas
Photo of the McMullen Courthouse in Tilden, the seat of McMullen County, Texas Photograph by Larry D. Moore. Tilden

Proud to call Texas home?
Put your name on the town, county, or lake of your choice.
Search Places »
McMullen County by the Numbers
Population & Civilian Labor Counts
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Population Counts
McMullen County
Pop. | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
743 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Civilian Labor Counts
McMullen County
People | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
826 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Per Capita Income
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Per Capita Income (USD) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
$72,150 | 2019 | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |
Property Values, Retail Sales, and Wages
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Property Values
McMullen County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
3,473,729,996 | 2019 | State Property Tax Board |
Retail Sales
McMullen County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
32,917,973 | 2019 | State Comptroller of Public Accounts |
Wages
McMullen County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
9,849,378 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Unemployment
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Unemployment Percentage | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
2.7 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Rainfall
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Rainfall (inches) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
24.0 | 2019 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Temperature Ranges
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Min. (January Average, °F) | Max. (July Average, °F) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|---|
42.6 | 96.4 | 2019 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Land Area & Total Area
This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."
Land Area
McMullen County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
1,139.4 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Total Area
McMullen County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
1,156.8 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |